The Best Chinese Fast Food Chains in NYC

Wondering where to eat when you’re craving good food yet have little time? Here is a list of tasty, fast Chinese food in NYC!

Have you ever felt rushed, not having enough time to grab a quick lunch and running late for work? Have you complained about the poor quality of bento box or poke bowl? For young white-collar workers and students in New York City, the most challenging part can be deciding what to get. Finding a decent, satisfying lunch may be more difficult than you expect, even in the Big Apple. To make your next lunch out worth your while, we have compiled a comprehensive list of simple, convenient and delicious Chinese fast food to enjoy in NYC.

1
Junzi Kitchen

This modern, stylish and cozy restaurant makes quick and delicious Chinese food. They serve northern Chinese-style noodles daily - with a funkier, more indulgent Afterhour menu on the weekends. They have locations near NYU, Columbia, Yale, and Bryant Park.

2
Xi’an Famous Food

Xi’an Famous Food is finally getting the fame it deserves. Its claim to fame: the first restaurant to bring the undiscovered cuisine of Xi’an to the United States.

Now, they have expanded. They have multiple locations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Its a family business and the owners hope to “reintroduce the world to the unique cuisine of their hometown: liangpi ‘cold skin’ noodles, lamb pao mo soup and wide hand-pulled ‘biang biang’ noodles, all in its most authentic form.”

4
Mala Project

During an interview with my friend Melissa Shan, a cofounder of Mala Project said that this innovative restaurant is ambitiously creating an unforgettable experience for customers with and without Chinese roots. Indeed, in addition to the classic dry pot, Mala Project has a “variety of satisfying Chinese home-cooking dishes... offered to solve nostalgia for the homesick.”

My personal favorite dish is the short rib with sour plums, as well as sticky rice stuffed lotus root.